Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving (Tralee)

Are you the type of person who enjoys driving and likes travelling around from place to place as part of your everyday work routine? If so, have you considered a career as a heavy goods vehicle driver? As a HGV driver you will be required to follow strict health and safety rules relating to the transportation of goods and road safety. You will be responsible for the safe transportation of raw materials and finished products around the country and further afield. The work involves driving the vehicle competently and safely, loading and unloading the vehicle, securing the loads correctly, making sure the vehicle is kept in a roadworthy condition, planning delivery routes, completing documentation and dealing with customers.

This course is designed to provide industry with personnel who have the knowledge, skills and qualifications to work as category C licensed drivers of heavy goods vehicles with rigid bodies. If you successfully complete the course you will receive a Category C Driving Licence, Driver Certificate of Professional Competence and Driver ADR Certificate.

What you’ll study

Delivery Methods

Entry Requirements

Job Opportunities

• Induction – State the planned outcomes and conditions attached to the course; apply good safety, health and hygiene practices; state the basic principles involved in environmental issues; and explain the meaning of equal opportunities.

• Manual Handling – State the statutory regulations relating to the manual handling of loads. Explain the anatomy and physiology of the spine as it applies to manual handling. Use correct techniques to lift, set down, push and pull a load.

• Driving – HGV Rigid Body – Identify and operate all control devices on the vehicle. Comply with EU regulations for tachographs. Read and interpret information from road maps. Drive the vehicle in accordance with the standards set by the Department of the Environment, the Road Traffic Acts and the manufacturer’s specifications for the operation of the vehicle.

• ADR Driver Training – Deal appropriately with hazards arising from the carriage of dangerous goods. Minimise the likelihood of incidents taking place. In the case of an accident, take appropriate action to protect your own safety and that of the public and the environment.

• Driver CPC Training – State and explain the operation and technical characteristics of the vehicle’s transmission system and safety controls. Apply this knowledge to optimise fuel consumption. Minimise risks and manage emergencies in road transport. Be fully aware of the importance of good physical and mental fitness when driving. Adopt a professional attitude and act ethically and safely at all times as a professional driver.

• Career Planning & Work Experience – Plan and achieve realistic work goals.

A combination of training methods is used to deliver this course. It offers a rich learning experience through a combination of classroom learning, instructor led tuition and supervised work practice which gives participants time to acquire and perfect the standard of knowledge and skills required by HGV drivers. The training methods include instructions, presentations, demonstrations, one-to-one tuition, supervised practice, practical work training, discussion groups and role plays. Participants are required to actively participate in the learning process. They must complete a number of practical exercises and assignments throughout the course. A number of methods are used to assess the participants’ progress and for certification purposes. These include assignments, theory exams, practical assessments, skills demonstrations, driving tests and a portfolio of work.

• Reached the current statutory school leaving age.

• Junior Certificate standard of education or its equivalent.

• A good standard of written and spoken English and numeracy skills.

• Good communications.

• Good spatial aptitude, hand-eye co-ordination and manual dexterity.

• Van or light truck driving experience is an advantage but not essential.

• Hold a current full category B driving licence and a current category C driver learner permit.